New food experiences

Even though this picture is not "clear", it is very Clear that his joke on the missionaries that picked Eric up at the airport, was a success and they were all smiles.  If you have not read the story, scroll down a few blog post and read about the "Christmas Miracle" that happened.

Here are all the mighty Laotian missionaries in Sacramento.  The new and the "old". 

This week in Eric's email, he told a couple of stories that are really fun.  So in his words here is the initiation of Elder Merkley.


I walked into this one Lao ladies house for a dinner appointment and the first thing that she said was oh boy I need more rice.  haha which is funny,  cause I already eat a ton of food as it is. 
So they feed us very well.  It is amazing to me sometimes how much these little lao people eat.  They are like 5 feet tall.  And holy cow the food is soooooo spicy.   This week, since I am the new Elder and it was my first time in a Lao members house, I got to have the "honor" of having kii luug which is baby chicken that is still in the egg!!! Lucky me right?! Yeah not so much haha it was weird because you put a small hole in the top of the egg and you slurp out the juice, then you make the hole a bit bigger and it is all down the hatch from there. haha It just slides down the throat all nice like!


That story gives me the "willies"!!  I don't think I could do it.

Here is how his Sundays are:
Yesterday was my first Sunday in the ward and it was so busy.  The first thing that I do for sacrament is, I walk in and sit in the back of the overflow on the left side. Why do you sit  in the back, on the left side you ask? well its because all of the Lao people come and sit in the back on the left side and put on these little headsets. I also get to put on a headset but my headset has a cool little microphone on it. . . . .  so yes I get to translate the whole sacrament meeting live for all of the Lao people. Where is your senior companion you ask?  Well he sits in the back on the right side where all  the mienh people sit and translates the meeting into mienh. So my companion speaks mienh, I speak Lao which equals a lot of  work to be done, double the work in fact.  After sacrament I get to teach Lao Sunday school.  After that I teach Lao relief society also.  How great is my calling? :) I can't wait to see the blessings for me when I get home. haha

Hey Maybe he will be teaching Relief Society here in Elk Ridge 3rd Ward....????  :)
He has already had an opportunity to share his experiences with Cancer with an Uncle to a Lao member who is going through treatments right now.  Just reading about his experience, just touched my heart, because this man not only is going through a tough time with treatments, he was able to talk about the struggles with Eric who understood those struggles.  Eric was able to share with him the strength he received from our Heavenly Father as he progressed through that difficult time.  The man was able to receive a Priesthood blessing from the Elders while they were there.

As hard as it is to have Eric so far a way, it is so touching to hear the stories he has had to be an instrument in our Heavenly Fathers Hands and comfort others.